On the lighter :-) side of matters...

I always wondered how language evolved around the neighbouring states. To an outsider Tamil and Malayalam sounded similar and many people who lived in the boarders of Tamil Nadu and Kerala also easily switched from one language to another while conversing. As a malayalee who spoke kottayam Malayalam at home always, I was amused by certain Tamil words. Malayalam and Tamil do share a lot of words in common but what would seem a simple word in Tamil could be a high sounding extreme one in Malayalam. 

Few words and their usages in the two languages which I noticed

Mudinju:

Tamil : Completed/ finished. It could refer to a task completed.

Malayalam: Destroyed/ Finished: Would mean something which was finished due to destruction.

Vilayattam :

Tamil : Play.

Malayalam: Play (with a negative connotation). For example a mom who’s really upset with her child who’s been playing for long could scold the child saying “It’s high time you stop your vilayattam and come home”. A catty action could be referred to as a “Vilayattam”

Thungal

Tamil : Sleeping

Malayalam : Hanging

Thaandi :

Tamil: Crossed. Could be used as “ I just crossed the check gate”

Malayalam: Giant leaps.

Parishuddha Aavi (Christian Concept)

Tamil : The Holy Spirit

Malayalam: Holy steam

Pudichu

Tamil : Liked

Malayalam: Obsessed

Finally during this recent TN visit and while administering questionnaires to the community (people always spoke in Tamil which was either translated for me or sometimes I just understood) I almost always observed that the response to the question “do you the know the modes of HIV transmission” would start with “Udal Uravu, …., …., etc”. The interpreter would go “sex, …, …., etc.” I couldn’t stop smiling each time it was said. Obviously “Udal Uravu” meant “Sex” in Tamil and guess what it means in  Malayalam. It means “rubbing of bodies”. Imagine what can cause AIDS ! :-) :-)